The University of Notre Dame’s study abroad programs in London will be relocated in 1998 to Nos. 1-4 Suffolk Street on the northwest corner of Trafalgar Square. The University recently purchased an 85-year lease on the building.
The London Centre programs – offered by the Notre Dame Law School, the Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) Program and the Colleges of Arts and Letters and Engineering – have been housed since 1981 at 7 Albemarle Street in a building with limited space for expansion and a lease that expires this year. In order to accommodate the increasing number of Notre Dame students seeking to study in London, and consistent with its goal to expand its international studies programs, the University decided to relocate the programs to a larger facility.
Constructed in 1906, the 1-4 Suffolk Street building originally served as the home of the Oxford and Cambridge Men’s Club and most recently was occupied by the British School of Osteopathy. With some 27,000 square feet of usable space, the Suffolk Street building provides more than twice the space of the current building and will accommodate all of the University’s classroom, computer, recreational and library needs. Prior to occupancy by the London Centre programs, the building will be completely renovated and equipped with modern teaching technology.
Located in the heart of London, the building stands next to the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery and is on the periphery of the theatre district. Buckingham Palace and Downing Street are a 10-minute walk to the west and the city’s legal center is the same distance to the east. Public spaces such as St. James Park, Waterloo Gardens, the Embankment Gardens and the River Thames are less than a five-minute walk. Library facilities are close by and the area includes numerous bookshops, pharmacies and eating establishments.
Notre Dame’s study abroad opportunities in London began in 1968 when the law school initiated a program that is the first – and still only- full-time branch of an American law school located outside the United States. The law school program includes three components: a J.D. program, a summer program and a master of laws (LL.M.) graduate program.
The MBA Program began in 1977 and offers Notre Dame students an opportunity to study abroad and acquire a more comprehensive understanding of international business environments.
The College of Arts and Letters initiated its London program in1981 and in the 15 years since more than 2,000 Notre Dame undergraduates from all colleges have participated. The College of Engineering offers a six-week summer program and a semester-long junior year program in which students study British engineering projects such as the Thames Flood Barrier, the Sellafield Nuclear Plant and the Eurotunnel.
Overall, the percentage of Notre Dame students studying abroad isa mong the highest in American higher education. In addition to the London Centre programs, the University’s other international study opportunities include programs in Austria, France, Ireland, Mexico, Japan, Spain, Australia, Chile, Israel and Italy.
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